thehammerdog

I am assuming most ride spd style I do as well but may try going with egg beaters anyone use and what's opinion?
I am also looking at road shoes with ability to go with spd cleats vs mtb shoes
Thoughts

HTupolev

Tons of people use egg beaters on gravel bikes. It works.

If by "road shoe" you mean a shoe that can fit a 2-bolt cleat but which is not recessed, I would strongly avoid. Walking on MTB cleats on shoes that lack a recession is far worse than even walking on road cleats.

If by "road shoe" you mean a shoe that looks and feels kind of like a road shoe, but which does feature a cleat recession, then go for it.

thehammerdog

I did mean road shoe not mtb shoes
Walking is at times important
The egg beaters look light and cheap
Thanks

Elvo

If your gravel includes hike a bike you would definitely want shoes with tread and recessed cleats

mstateglfr 

I walk in my shoes before and after rides, so there is 0 interest in road shoes.

My mtb shoes dont hold me back in any way. Until I cut weight and put out a ton more watts, road shoes needn't be considered for me. What I have are light enough, comfortable, and stiff enough.

thehammerdog

I was looking for a smoother faster looking shoe than a standard std mtb type. I ride mostly raid trail stuff 50% and road 50% so the idea of a road shoe appeals to me. But the point of not being able to walk about is valid. I want to good looking sleek shoe to do it all. Egg beaters seem cool and maybe some laced up giro types.

David Scott

I've got eggbeaters. Love them. Getting in and out of them are a breeze. Super light. Yeah, they need to be serviced once a year but it takes about an hour and you don't need to take them off the bike to do it. Another bonus is that if someone tries to nick your bike they'll have a difficult time trying to get away as it's difficult to ride eggbeaters without cleats.

chas58

I have some. Technically they are a road shoe in a Cross configuration - i.e. 2 bolt hole that you can walk in (just have to be careful not to order the 3 bolt version).

Shimano XC-7 or XC-9
I got the 9 on clearance. Very light, very efficient, fairly stiff.

Fizik makes some nice shoes with a single boa.

My wife has a shoe that takes 2 or 3 bolt cleats. But with no lugs, you can't really walk in them - so no real benefit to use the 2-bolt cleats. I don't think they have ever been worn. ;-)

Hmmm

Are you using a conversion kit to make your road shoes into two bolt? If so which model? I had no idea people could use these to convert road to cross shoes. My road shoes have been collecting dust and it's a shame as I really like them but never want to change pedals.

chas58

Nope, you just have a choice of buying the 2 hole (spd) or 3 hole (road) version of the shoe. The are cross country race shoes (or CX shoes - you can screw in cleats for running up hills) - so basically stiff aero road shoes with 2bolts and a little bit of tread for walking.
Here is a review:
https://www.singletracks.com/blog/mt...-boa-closures/
https://singletrackworld.com/2018/05...in-bike-shoes/

2 hole version https://www.backcountry.com/shimano-...ycle-shoe-mens
3 hole version https://www.backcountry.com/shimano-...ling-shoe-mens

Converting a road shoe to 2 bolt is an interesting idea. Theoretically you just need to drill 2 holes and then use that screw backing plate that all 2-hole SPD shoes have. No idea how durable that would be.

csrpenfab

I loved my old Sidi Genius road shoes and finally got around to buying a similar pair for the gravel bike last week. Sidi Dominator 7 in Mega for my wide feet. 2 bolt cleat for my SPD's. Why did I wait so long! They fit great and are so much stiffer than the Pearl Izumi Mtn. Bike shoes I'd been wearing for a couple years. Just riding my normal 25 mile gravel route I immediately noticed a difference on the climbs. I was climbing the rises in one gear higher thanks to the stiff soles.

Hypno Toad

I ride Eggbeaters with Giro Republic shoes. I use this same set up on my road bikes and gravel bikes. My idea of gravel includes the worst conditions (snow and 28F); and (but not the same ride) 240-mile day of gravel.

I'd say that the Giro is heavier than some options, but durable and comfortable. The Eggbeaters are great to engage when things get muddy. Avoid Eggbeater 1, they don't last long in harsh conditions. I've been happy with the Eggbeater 3.

Hypno Toad

Forgot to post a picture of my shoes and cleats .... see they're clean in messy conditions.


Ride - 2018 Filthy 50
Photo credit - Devin Tolleson

Hmmm

Ah ok. I've seen conversion kits. I have a pair of Giro road shoes with stiff E70 soles, and a pair of Fizik Terra X5's. It would be nice to not have to change pedals if I want to run the other shoes.

Carry on! Sorry for side tracking thread!

thehammerdog

Thanks
I was initially attracted to the egg beaters because of low price before knowing they came in several levels 1. 2. 3 not sure difference but 1 seem to cheap
2 or 3 I need to compare

thehammerdog

$400
Out of my look league

$100 range more my speed

chas58

I know right? This time of year there are often closeouts (that's how I got mine).
For the shimano's there is a $100, $200, $400 version (XC5, 7, 9) Those BOA closures are very nice, but must be expensive...

Zaskar

Depends on the ride.
If the route is a mix of reasonably groomed gravel/dirt roads and pavement - I use road pedals and shoes.
If the route is sloppy or technical and/or has any single track - I use mtn bike shoes and EggBeaters.

Biggest risk to ^that^ method is showing up to a ride with mtn bike shoes and road pedals ;-)

Marcus_Ti

It is all about fit. Giros fit a bit narrower than Shimanos. I replaced my XC7 Shimanos with Giro Empire VR90; road-shoe-racinhg-level-stiff and you don't have to worry about BOAs getting clogged with mud. ...or BOAs braking and having to order BOAs for $10USD a pop and paying $10 shipping to get them next week. Giros pop up on sale from time to time if you snipe them--I got my VR90 NIB for 50% off retail.

Only downside, is I have to put on my cycling shoes away from the ctats.


Eggbeaters....are great for mudshedding like in a CX race. The caveats being:

• You need to buy the "optional" sole protector plates. They are not optional at all--as the pedals will chew up your shoes
• They have problems with lifespan, especially given that you can get higher-tier Shimano SPD for the same $$$. Bearings tend to need overhauled often as such things go, X-wings crack, etc.
• They're sloppy, they don't feel floaty like other pedals just sloppy. Lots of lateral/angular play and no adjustment at all. Feels a bit like walking in a mud puddle compared to an SPD where it is direct power more or less.

Two years ago you could get Shimano's XTR pedals for only $90USD on clearance. I got PD-M9000 XTRs to replace Crank Candy3 and am happier. D/A quality MTB gear for $90USD. Nowadays XTRs are back to reg pricing with the model refresh to $180 I think.

Hypno Toad

I'm gonna counter-point with my experience.

My gravel bike has used Eggbeaters 3 pedals (bought at swap), I've put over 3,000 harsh miles on these pedals without a rebuild. I have Mallet E pedals I've ridden through 4 Minneapolis winters (road salt, snow, slush, sub-zero temps), I typically ride 1,500 to 2,000 miles a winter, no rebuild. My road bike has 8,000 miles on Eggbeater 3 pedals without a rebuild (this is a mostly dry bike).

The plate for the cleat is good, but not needed. The Shimano shoe on the right is over 10 years old and always riding Crank Bros with out plate, the shoe on the left is a newer Giro Republic. Both sets of shoes are breaking down from age long before they are from the pedal wear. I do have the metal cleat plate on my 45NRTH Wölvhammer, those are very expensive winter boots and I'll spend the extra nickel to make sure the cleat doesn't cause an issue.



The float/feel is highly subjective. For my aging knees, the float is needed. Fresh/new cleats have less float, in the pic above the cleat on the right is sloppy, and clearly needs to be replaced ... but these are my shoes for running errands with my commuter bike, so I'm not looking for 'power' and will replace when my foot starts pulling out of the pedal.

If I had one complaint about Crank Bros, it's that the brass cleats don't have a long life. But at $20-$25 per set, it's not a major issue.

DrIsotope

The line between road and MTB shoes grows ever thinner. First are the 2-bolt Diadora X-Vortex Pro MTB shoes (I have a pair, which have ~15k miles on them):


And Diadora Vortex Pro 3-bolt road shoes:

thehammerdog

Soooo pretty

Love sidi's

Hypno Toad

UPDATE: I rode with a rare combo yesterday - Wölvhammer and Eggbeaters (I typically use Mallet E pedals for winter riding). I found that sloppy pedal-shoe connection referenced above. It felt like a ball bearing under the shoe - lots of motion in all directions, but the shoe is locked to the pedal (not pulling out of the pedal). The Mallet E pedals have adjustable pins, and don't have this sloppy feeling with my winter boots. I'm not sure if the metal plate is causing this sloppy feeling or if it's simply that some shoes are not a good match for the Eggbeaters. Tread contact sleeves could help with this issue too, but I've never tried this.

Edit - Lots of good info in this video -

Chi_Z

if the route does not require you hiking the bike, road shoe/cleat is fine, I find SPD-SL much easier to clip in compared to SPD due to the size of the cleat. with SPD the cleat is so small I have to attempt multiple times even though the pedal is duel sided

thehammerdog

I got me these. On sale comfy i have not yet put cleats on. Staying with spd's. I will buy new lighter spd pedals more road/gravel focused.